Platform and leg construction



Sept. 11,1945. a ELL 2,384,426'

PLATFORM AND LEG CONSTRUCTION Filed May 18, 1942 INVENTOR N3 mm 5 fl/vssu.

WMJMA ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 11, 1945 UNITE-D STATESPATENT OFFICE 7 2,384,426 PLATFORM AND CONSTRUCTION Nathan S. Ancell, New York, N. Y. Application May 18, 1942, Serial No. 443,401 2 Claims. 1, 3119-110) This invention relates generally to furniture and. more particularly to the platform and leg construction thereof.

A considerable proportion of furniture construction involves the support of generally horiconstruction, owing to the relatively close toler-' ances required in the parts to be joined and glued, such constructions are open to the disadvantage that they must be shipped in a set-up condition, and with a deterioration or drying out of the glue used, the joined parts develop'considerable movement or play with relation to each other. This condition is aggravated by continued use under the dry air conditions prevailing in modern heated buildings.

' A further disadvantage in said construction lies in the fact that after the looseness develops. no ready means is provided for the tightening thereof, and a relativel elaborate repair, wedging and regluing is necessary.

In accordance with the present invention, t e aforementioned disadvantages are overcome. Among the principal objects of the present invention lies the provision of platform and leg construction which may be manufactured at low cost, using large scale production methods, and in which minor variations in the sizes of the Darts are compensated for so that relatively larger tolerances may be used.

Another object herein lies in the provision of a novel platform and leg construction'in which the furniture articles may be shipped in a knocked-down condition with a consequent saving in freight charges, carrier and storage space, as well as container costs.

Another object herein lies in the provision of structure of the class described, in which the furniture, although having been kept in a knocked-down condition, may be quickly and easily -set-up either by the dealer, prior to or at the time of. sale, or by the user, since no special tools or skill are required for the setting-up operation.

A feature of the present invention lies in the fact that the parts may, prior to the tightening operation, fit loosely enough so that their assembling may be easily performed.

Another object herein lies in the provision of platform and leg construction in which the parts are integrated by mechanical means and requiring no adhesives.

Another object herein lies in the provision of structure of the class described in which means are provided for compensating some of the changes which may take place in the size or configuration of the parts where'the material of which the article is constructed is affected by changes in internal structure caused by weather andother conditions.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will more fully appear in the progress or this disclosure and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, constituting a material part hereof, similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a stool, bench or low table embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the upper part of the left leg of Fig. 2 as removed from its supporting element.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the left leg, its supporting member, and the adjacent platform, as might be seen from underneath the left forward leg of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 4, with the platform removed, and as might be seen from the plane 5-5 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, as might be seen from the plane 6-B on Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section view as might :be seen from the plane 1-4 on Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, as might be seen from the plane 8-8 on Fig. 5, the tensioning element being removed.

Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, are approximately onethird actual size, while Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, are approximately full size.

As will be readily understood to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates, the platform and leg construction described and claimed herein may be used for an innumerable variety of articles of furniture and other articles in which a platform is supported by a leg, or a plurality of legs. For the purpose of describing my invention, I have selected, by way of example, an article of furniture in the nature of a stool, bench, or low table. In accordance the present invention, the article, generally indicated by numeral I 0, comprises a platform II and a plurality of legs, generally indicated by numeral I2. In the figures of the drawing, while the platform II is supported by four legs, only three of these legs, namely those indicated by reference characters I3, I4 and I5, are seen in the drawing. The legs I2 are integrated with the platform II by a plurality of support elements, generally indicated by numeral I6, and here again, although there is one support element for.'each of the legs, only three, namely those indicated by reference characters 23, 24 and 25, are shown in the drawing.

As best seen in Fig. 4, the legs I12 and the supports therefor are angularly disposed, and in the embodiment illustrated, are arranged to be directed outwardly of the center of the platform II, and at an angle of substantially thirty degrees with relation to the longitudinal axis of the platform I-I. Since the legs I2 and the support elements I6 are of substantially identical construction, a detailed description of one will suffice for all.

The leg I4, it will be seen, has its central longitudinal axis disposed at an angle to the vertical. Obviously this angle may be varied to suit practical dimensional requirements or aesthetic desires. The leg I4 includes a so-called front surface I I, a rear surface I8, side surfaces I9 and 26, a bottom surface 2|, and a top surface 22. As shown, the side surfaces I9 and 20 are parallel to each other, and the front and rear surfaces I1 andl8 taper. The degree of convergence between the front and rear surfaces I1 and I8 may be varied to agree with dimensional requirements or aesthetic desires, While the side surfaces -I9 and 20 are parallel to each other, thus enabling the leg I4v to be cut out of sheet stock, as will more fully appear hereinbelow, these surfaces, too, where desired, may be given a taper. The bottom and top surfaces 2I and 22 are preferably parallel with each other and with the platform II The upper end 26 ofthe leg I4 is provided with an orifice identical with the orifice 21, comparable in external appearance to the orifice 31 shown in the upper end 36 of the leg I3, as seen in Fig. 3.

The support element '24 is preferably of block shape and includes a top surface 28, a bottom surface 29, front surfaces 30 and 3I, and side surfaces 32 and 33. The forward or outer portion of the support element 24 is provided with an indentation or recess 34, which is formed by the bifurcation of the said forward or outer portion, forming the inner opposed leg side engaging surfaces 38 and 39 and the leg rear engaging surface 40. The inner opposed leg side engaging surfaces are preferably parallel and are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the distance between the side surfaces I9 and 20. The surface 40 is preferably spaced from the surfaces 30 and 3| a distance approximately equal to the distance between the front surface I! and the rear surface I8 of the, leg I4. The

leg rear engaging surface 40 is angularly disposed, as best seen in Fig. 8, to conform to the angular positioning of the rear surface I8. The above described bifurcation forms the upper leg engaging arms 4| and 42, which are provided with co-axia-lly aligned orifices 43 and 44. The orifices 43 and 44 are substantially in alignment with the orifice 21 in the upper end '26 of the leg I4, but are preferably slightly disaligned in the direction of the arrow 45 on Fig. 8. This disalignment is for the purpose of wood screws 4! and 48 which penetrate counterbored and countersunk orifices 49 and 50. The screws 41 and 48 are of suflicient length to secure a firm anchorage of the support element to the undersurface 46, but are short enough not to penetrate the exposed top surface 5 I.

The leg I4 is preferably composed of a material having the properties of resiliency and compressibility, although these properties may be of relatively low order. The support element 24 is preferably composed of a material having some degree of resiliency, and while said material may have some compressibility, it is preferable that the degree of compressibility be of a lower order than the degree of compressibility of the material of which the leg is composed. I have found that a suitable material having the above described characteristics is wood,

The support element 24 is preferably secured to the undersurface 46 of the platform II at the factory or place Where the article ID is fabricated, and the'leg I4 is shipped together with it, but disconnected therefrom.

When it is desired. to install the leg, the upper end 26 is placed between the arms H and 42, with the top surface 22 contacting the surface 46, and the rear surface I8 contacting the surface 40. In this position, a tensioning element 52 is inserted' into the orifice 43 and may be driven by light hammer blows through the orifice 21 and then the orifice 44 the tensioning element being a snug fit therein. The tensioning element 52 may take the form of a machine screw and nut, or carriage bolt and nut. In order t increase the area of the side surfaces 32 and 33 upon which the pressure of the head 53 and the nut 54 is exerted, relatively large washers 55 may be used. The amount of force necessary to drive the tensioning element 52 into place will be affected by the amount of disalignment existing between the axes of the orifice 43 and on one hand and the orifice 21 onthe other. With a small amount of disalignment, the driving of the tensioning element 52 into place causes a wedging action which forces the top surface. 22 of the leg against the bottom surface 46 of the platform II, and the rear surface I8 of the leg against the surface 40 of the support element 24. With the leg I4 in a seated position, as just described, the parts will appear as shown in the dotand-dash lines in Figs. 6 and 7. The tensioning element is now tightened, as for example, by engaging the nut 54 with a wrench or pliers, and by engaging the head 53 with a screw driver. When the tensioning element is drawn up tightly, the arms 4| and 42 are displaced, as shown by the full lines in Figs. 6 and 7. The amount of displacement which occurs will be affected by the relative tension put upon the element 52, the resiliency of the arms M and 42, and the compressibility of the upper end 26 of the leg I4. By reason of the fact that the tensioning element 52 is eccentrically disposed with relation to a horizontal central axis through the planes of the surfaces 38 and 39, which contact the side surfaces I9 and 20 of the leg I4, the arms 4| and 42 are rotated in the direction of the arrows BI and 62 on Fig. 6, and the arrows 63 and 64 on Fig. 7. This causes the formation of a tenon 16 on the end 26 of the leg I4, said tenon l6 presenting an appearance substantially identical with that shown on the end 36 of the leg I3; seen in Fig. 3. Since the front surface I! of the tenon 1'6 is of less width than the rear surface l8 thereof, further tightening of the tensioning element 52 will tend to force the surface 18 under greater pressure against the surface 40. And since the lower portions of the side surface I9 and 20 above the shoulders 65 and 66 (Fig. 6) on the tenon 16 are closer to each other than the uppermost horizontal edges 61 and 68 thereof, further tightening of the tensioning element 52 will tend to force the surface 22 under greater pressure against the surface 46. Thus, by the act of installation of the leg l4 within the support element 24, a dovetailing of the parts is obtained.

Thus, with the upper end 26 of the leg I4 in a fully and properly seated condition within the support element 24, the leg is positively secured against undesired movement. The wedging effect of the arms 4| and 42, as well as that of the tensioning element 52, forces the top surface 22 against the undersurface 46, and the rear surface I8 against the surface 40, and the rotation of the leg as a unit about the tensioning element as a center, is thereby prevented. Such rotational movement is also prevented by the co-action of the shoulders 65 and 66 in abutment against the undersurfaces 29 of the arms 4| and 42.

The distortion of the parts caused by the action of the tensioning element will, as has been previously stated, depend upon the properties of the particular materials used for the said parts and, consequently, the dovetailing formation of the tenon 16 will also vary in accordance therewith.

It may thus be seen that I have provided a novel leg and platform construction which is simple, so that the same may be readily manufactured at low cost. No glue is necessary to provide a sturdy and permanent integration of the leg with the latform. Should any looseness occur by reason of unusual stresses or by reason of a drying out of the parts, it is only necessary to tighten the tensioning element 52, which will cause an increased locking and wedging effect, thereby restoring the parts to a taut, joined condition.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. Furniture construction comprising: a platform having an undersurface, a support element, a portion adjacent one end of said support element being bifurcated to provide a slotted opening between a pair of arms, axially aligned transverse orifices in said arms, a leg member having top, front and rear surfaces and adapted to be received in said slotted opening in said support element, said supporting being fixed to the undersurface of the platform and the slotted opening is so disposed that the leg when received threin will abut the said undersurface of the platform, said leg member having an orifice adjacent one end thereof, said orifice being of same size as the aligned orifices in said arms and transversely disposed with respect to said front and rear surfaces, leg member orifice being so positioned that its axis is normally angularly disaligned in a downward direction with respect to the axes of said aligned orifices in said arms when the said rear surface of said leg member abuts the bottom wall of said slotted opening of said support and when the said top surface of said leg member abuts the undersurface of said platform, and a rigid bolt member forced through said aligned and disaligned orifices to cause a tightening and wedging fit of the leg member in said support element.

2. A furniture construction according to claim 1 in which the said support element is of relatively soft wood whereby when the said bolt member is tightened the said arms of said support element will become embedded in adjacent portions of said leg element to add further stability and firmness to the construction.

NATHAN S. ANCEIL. 

